This invention relates to circular saw blades and more particularly, to an improved circular saw blade provided with strain compensating, heat dissipating slots in the body thereof.
Circular saw blades have been made in the past with radially extending slots projecting outwardly of the central bore of the blades to compensate for various strains occurring in the blades during operation thereof. Specifically, such blades have been formed with slots cut in the body of the blade by laser cutting machines. A circular saw blade constructed in this manner is disclosed in Jansen-Herfeld U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,676.
The Jansen-Herfeld patent discloses a blade having a plurality of radially extending slots starting immediately at the central bore. In addition, a plurality of outer radial slots extend intermediate the central bore and the peripheral edge. Both sets of slots are spaced from each other in the circumferential direction and partially overlap each other in the radial direction. The Jansen-Herfeld saw, however, has experienced many difficulties. The radially extending slots become packed full of sawdust and also shave wood from lumber being sawn. The blades tend to rip sawguides. They are noisy, run hot, have a short life, crack easily and damage lumber and guides as aforesaid. The Jansen-Herfeld blade, however, hammers more easily than prior blades probably because of the presence of the slots.
It is thus a primary object of the present invention to provide a circular saw blade that will be easy to hammer, yet will run quieter, cooler, and longer than prior art blades, be harder to crack, resistant to sawdust packing in its slots, and not damage either lumber or guides.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a circular saw that will run in gap edges, whether guided or unguided, and remain strong in its mandrel or central bore area.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a circular saw blade of the above type with laser-cut slots disposed within the body thereof, which slots can compensate for strain, dissipate heat, not become packed with sawdust during operation and not damage either the lumber being cut or the guides in which it runs.